Children are fascinated by it and enjoy rubbing the pods and collecting the dark flat seeds.

Biennial plants live only for two years, flower the second year, and then usually self sow. A well-known biennial plant, “Honesty” has purple flowers followed by seedpods that are shaped like coins, and when the seeds are released and the inner membrane revealed, it looks silvery and translucent. Hence the plant’s common name of “Money Plant.”

It is a member of the genus “Lunaria” from the Latin word for moon. The stalks of the plant can be gathered after they turn brown, and the outer membranes of the seedpods can be rubbed off to expose the inner circle.

A Favorite with Arrangers and Children

Flower arrangers love them and the transparency of the alternated discs on the stalks is why the plant was also called “Honesty.”

A few seeds of the money plant will provide many dividends and produce a lot of interest, which is appropriate given its name. Children are fascinated by it and enjoy rubbing the pods and collecting the dark flat seeds.

The plant’s culture is easy; it provides both flowers and material for dried arrangements as well as having an easily remembered name. Even your broker couldn’t find you a better investment.

Moya Andrews, originally from Queensland, Australia, served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties at Indiana University until 2004. In the same year, Moya began hosting Focus on Flowers for WFIU. In addition, Moya does interviews for Profiles, is a member of the Bloomington Hospital Board, and authored Perennials Short and Tall from Indiana University Press.

Related Posts (Automatically Generated)

Stay Connected

What is RSS? RSS makes it possible to subscribe to a website's updates instead of visiting it by delivering new posts to your RSS reader automatically. Choose to receive some or all of the updates from Focus on Flowers: